Extensible antenna support



May 4, 1948.

J. W. IRBY EXTENS IBLE ANTENNA SUPPORT Filed July 6, 1944 FIGS FEGZ INVENTOR. JAMES w msv p Arm/e A EV Patented May 4, 1943 EXTENSIBLE ANTENNA SUPPORT James W. Irby, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of War Application July 6, 1944, Serial No. 543,743

Claims. (01.250-33) v (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

The invention to be hereinafter described relates to automatic indicating devices for extensible antenna supports.

It is of prime importance oftento determine the elevation of a radio beam, one particular application of the information thus obtained being used in the landing of planes. It has long been common practice to setup an antenna at predetermined distances from the transmission set and raise it to various heights until the center of the beam is reached, recording that for reference. A number of such readings could then be plotted in the form of a graph. This necessitated a, great deal of delay as well as many individual or separate operations, all pretty simple in themselves yet, in the aggregate, totalling considerable work and corresponding delay.

The present invention eliminates the above and other objections and provides a simple, efficient, compact and quickly producible device whereby the antenna may be quickly and easilylraised to any desired height, within a given range, and that height automatically indicated to an observer.

The device is particularly designed as a piece of mobile equipment. To that end, provision is made for mounting it on a truck which, however, is only indicated here.

In order to more clearly disclose the construction, operation and use of the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of the present application. Throughout the several figures of the drawings like reference characters designate the same parts in the different views.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the lower section of the invention in use;

Fig. 2 is a right hand view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the tape guide pul leys; i t

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of the guide clip coupling the antenna bracket to the guide rail; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary View of the pivot mounting of the sectional bar.

In the present instance the antenna is mounted on a bracket and the bracket with antenna is raised or lowered to the desired point. It isthis device for raising andlowering, in combination with the tape arrangement and its observation at a given point, which comprise themeat of this application.

Referring to the drawings in detail I indicates the running board of a truck or other suitable vehicle. On running board Iis suitably mounted a base plate or other foundation or support 2 provided with parallel spaced ears 3 between which is swingably disposed the lower end of a sectional tubular mast orpost which provides adequate support for the antenna, carriage, bracket or the like. Preferably, this mast consists of three separable sections 4, 5, and 6 each of about eight feetin length. The lower section is provided with a diametrical slot 1 adapted to be set down on or straddle a pin 8 passed through ears 3. The opposite end of the lower section is provided with a sleeve 9 rigidly fixed thereto. The free end of sleeve 9 is split to provide a clamp 10, drawn, to clamping position bythe usual thumb nut II, to secure in aligned position the next or middle section. This middle section carries a similar sleeve provided with; a like clamp for similarly securing in place the third section, giving a total length of twenty-four feet. ;That is a definite, fixed length of post or tube. The running board of the vehicle will usually be about one foot above ground, so that the top of the full length mast will be approximately twenty-five feet above ground. The exact height, of course, may be accurately determined very readily. a

Each mast or post section carries a rail section l2, firmly secured thereto in any suitable manner but spaced therefrom by spacers or blocks l3. Sections l2,-of course, are so disposed that they will align continuously, in assembled position. Preferably, though not necessarily, rail I2 is rectangularin lateral cross section. That construction makes it possible to use a very simple and eificient clip, shoe or rider I4 which embraces rail section [2 in free sliding movement. To avoid binding between clips [4 and sections [2, ball surfaces |5 are provided on the inner faces of clips l4. These surfaces space'the edges of the clips as well as most of the inner surfaces of the clips from the rail sections and greatly. facilitate. sliding motion between them. l. j

Clips M are firmly secured to the carriage, platform or other antenna support It on which any desired type of antenna may be disposed.

To raise the antenna, a graduated steel measuring tape I1 is usedhaving its opposite ends fastened to carriage I6. A,

From the upperconnection to carriage l6, tape I1 passes through twosets of guide rollers l8 mounted in suitable brackets is on the upper end of the upper section of the tubular post, downwardly through guide rollers 20 on the truck body, across the path of lens '2! on the truck, through a second set of rollers 22 below the lens,

on down to and through anotherset ofguide roll-. ers 23 on the running board [and thence to its;

second connection to the lower side of carriage 16. For accuracy, lens 2| is provided with a suit- I able reading line.

the lower section of the tubular mast, as the mast is swung upwardly between its clamping ends.

In operation, the desired number of sections of the tubular post or mast are clamped together,- the slotted end of the lower section is seated on pin 8 and the assembled sections are then swung one of each pair being cut out or grooved tore ceive the tape and the other having a plane or unfianged body to fit thatgroove or channel, the tapefittingand feeding snugly and smoothl between. Further illustration or description would add nothing to a clear understanding and would only unnecessarily increase the size and bulk of the record.

Tape I1 is used both as ameans of changing the height of the antenna andas meansof instantly indicating its height'at all tims The weight of the carriage and antenna must be counteracted,

of course, to prevent. dropping of the' carriage back to its original position or starting point. This may be done invariousways and, i'n-itself, is; no part of the present invention. Either a clamp or holding deviceapplied directly to the tape or abrake may be applied to one of more of the toilets." or an appreciable spring or Weight pressure on one of the rollers of a pair may produce substantially the same result, requiring greater pull onthe tape to force itthrough that pail, It is hardly necessary to state that this movable and, therefore, extensible'antenna, is provided with the usual flexible conductors and corresponding -connections. V

--It has been stated, in general terms, that the invention may be used for locating the center of a'radio beam for many desired purposes. -In such cases the antennaswould be receivers, The device isequally usable in transmission, as will be readily understood; In that case changing height ofthe antenna will, of j, course, correspondingly change height of center of the transmitted beam, asd'es'ired.

It is thought that the construction, operation anduse of the invention will be clear from the preceding detaileddescriptionl T 'Many changes maybe made intheconstruction, arrangement and disposition of the several parts of the invention withinthe scope ofthe appended claims without departing from theffield of the invention and it ismeant to include all such. W t h pp ica i n w e e n n o e: ferred form has 1 been illustrated purely by Way 4 of example and with no thought or intention of limiting the application thereby.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1., In combination, a supportingmast pivotally mounted to swingv vertically'to and from operative position, a resilient clamping'arm yieldingly maintaining said mast in operative position, a rail carried by and in spaced relation to said mast, a

icarriage travelling freely on said rail, an antenna mountedonandmovable with said carriage, a

' flexible graduated member connected to opposite endsof said'icarriag'e whereby said carriage may be travelledlongitudinally of said rail in either direction,"'ani'observation lens in fixed position relativelyto said mast, carriage and flexible memher, and means for guiding said flexible member before said observation lens whereby the exact 1 elevationofsaid antenna may be observed at all times.

2. In combinatiom-a supporting mast, a, rail carried by andl-inlspaced.relationto saidmast, a carriage on said'railjan antennanmounted on and movable with saidcarriagalclipscarried. by said carriage and. embracing'said rail. in free sliding and guiding relation thereto,,a.flexiblegraduated' longitudinally ofIsaid" rail in eitheidire'ction, an

observation lens in' fixed position relatively to said mast, carria e and .fiexible member, means'engaging said flexible, member and counteracting the weight. of said carriage, and, antenna and means for guiding said flexible member before said observation lens whereby exact elevation of said antenna may be observed at alltimes.

'3"; In combinatioma supporting mastga rail carried by and i'n'space'd relation to said mast, a carriage reciprocably mounted. thereon, an antenna mountedon "said carriage and movable therewith, guide rouers; disposed adjacent' the opposite ends of .the aforesaid mast, .a 'fie'xible graduated member extended. in loop form about said guide rollers and-having its opposite ends connectedto the oppositeeiidsfof the aforesaid carri'agefwhereby saidfcarriage may be reciprocated, jmeans engaging said flexible means and counteractingthe weight o f 'said carriage and antenna, andineans for guiding said" flexible memher before. an' observation..1ens whereby exact elevation of said antenna may be observed at all times.

4. In combination, a supporting mast, a rail carried by' 'ndin spacedrelation to said mast, a carriage on saidjrail', ah an tenna mounted on andmovable with. saidcaifriage, clips carried by said carriage and embracingsaidra'il in free sliding and guiding relation thereto,.; means .carried by said clips and spacing them 'arit'ifrictionally from said guide rail, aflexible graduatedmember connected to the opposite endsbf said carriage whereby said carria e may be travelledlongitudinally of said'rail'in either direction, an observation lens in fixed position relatively to said mast,

carriage and flexible member, and means for guidin'g said' flexible member be'fore said observation lens whereby exact elevationiof said antennamay be observed at all times.

5; In combination, a supportingma'st pivotally mounted to swing vertically to and from operative position, a resilient clamping arm'to yieldingly main-taimsaid; mast in;saidoperative position, a rail carried by. and in spacedrelation to said mast, -a carriage reciprocally mounted thereon and traveling freely on said-rail, an antenna mounted on and movable with said carriage, clips carried by said carriage and embracing said rail in free sliding and guiding relation thereto, means carried by said clips to space them antifrictional- 1y from said guide rail, guide rollers disposed adjacent the opposite ends of the aforesaid mast, a flexible graduated member extended in loop form about said guide rollers and having its opposite ends connected to the opposite ends of the aforesaid carriage whereby said carriage may be 10 traveled longitudinally of said rail in either di rection. an observation lens in fixed position relative to said mast, carriage and flexible member, means engaging said flexible member to counteract the weight of said carriage and antenna, and means for guiding said flexible memher before said observation lens whereby the exact elevation of said antenna may be observed at all times.

JAMES W. IRCBY.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 610,934 Webber Sept. 20, 1898 1,070,167 Nitschke Aug. 12, 1913 1,099,861 Raes June 9, 1914 1,512,752 Fisk Oct. 21, 1924 2,225,456 Koschmieder Dec. 17, 1940 2,348,362 Rudolf May 8, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 15 Number Country Date 124,268 Great Britain Mar. 20, 1919 20 in Div. 51. 

